


Slave to the Rhythm (Of Your Heart)

by flamefox428



Series: Bemily Week 2018 [6]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Marching Band, Bemily Week 2018, Cheerleaders, Day 6, F/F, This is cute y'all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-01 09:32:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13995426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flamefox428/pseuds/flamefox428
Summary: Beca turned and came face to face with an extremely pretty cheerleader. Despite Beca standing up on the second level of the bleachers, this tall girl was eye-level with her. And did she mention that she was really really pretty?





	1. From the Top, Ready or Not

**Author's Note:**

> I love this au so much and after Bemily week is over I'm thinking of extending this into a multi-chap fic. Tbh I would die for Bemily they're so wholesome.

Beca loved marching band.

She had always been very jumpy and energetic as a child, so she liked having an outlet for all that movement. Even before she joined marching band she had a passion for music. She was always singing and mixing beats on her computer, and tapping them out with her fingers on her desk when she wasn’t mixing.

This was a habit that annoyed her teachers to no end, and one that was not fully realized until her music teacher, Mr. Vega, put a pair of drumsticks in her hands one day. She looked up at him with a quirked brow, but he dropped a drum pad into her lap and waited expectantly.

Beca gave herself a minute to get used to how the sticks felt, and imagined the beat she had been working on that morning. She took a deep breath and began beating away at the drum pad, feeling more and more excited as she did. This was just like mixing beats on her computer, except she could do it with her hands. It felt so right. 

From that point on, she switched from flute to snare drum in music class.

It was rare to see her without drumsticks after that, and she was constantly drumming beats on anything and everything. It was only a natural progression for her to join marching band when she got into college.

On the first day club expo, she was a little overwhelmed. Barden University was much bigger than the high school she had went to, and she didn’t know anyone who would be going here. She had her drumsticks out, drumming anxious paradiddles on her legs and she walked around. All she wanted to do was find the table for marching band and get the hell out of there.

“Hey! I’m Chloe and this is Aubrey,” A cheery redhead greeted her. She was wearing a cheerleading uniform and holding a clipboard, looking perky and preppy and everything a cheerleader should look. She handed Beca a flyer, advertising spots on the squad. “Do you want to join cheerleading? We’re having tryouts tomorrow!”

“Um,” Beca said, looking down at the flyer in awkward disinterest. “I’m not really into cheerleading.”

The blonde girl standing next to the redhead looked borderline offended, and Beca just knew she and this other girl would disagree about everything.

“Okay, well,” Chloe said. “Keep the flyer. If you change your mind you can come to tryouts tomorrow!” 

“Right,” Beca said stiffly, before ducking away as Chloe jumped at another girl. As if she would ever be a cheerleader. She didn’t even look the part, let alone _act_ the part. All she wanted to do was find the table for marching band, sign up, and get started.

It didn’t take her much longer to find the table, manned by two upperclassmen. They greeted Beca cheerfully and handed her the clipboard for sign up. Beca took it gratefully and began to scribble down her name.

“Aw, are you here for marching band too?” a loud, thickly accented voice asked her. Beca jumped and turned to face the girl who had appeared beside her and was greeted with the sight of a large blonde.

“Yeah, I’m signing up for drumline,” Beca said as she brandished her drum sticks.

“Right on,” the girl replied. “I’m all about those cymbals, they’re loud just like me.”

She made a _krsh krsh_ sound effect while she mimed slamming crash cymbals together. Beca barked out a surprised laugh at the girl’s antics and handed her the clipboard.

“I’m Amy by the way,” the girl said with a smile.

“Beca,” Beca replied politely. “Anyway, I guess I’ll see you around at practice?”

“You betcha,” Amy replied before saluting Beca and disappearing into the crowd of people. Beca nodded to herself and went on her own way, eager to get back to her dorm before she could get hassled into joining any other clubs.

/ / /

As the weeks went by, Beca quickly fell into a routine of classes, band practices, and being ignored by her roommate. She didn’t care so much about that last one, Beca mostly kept to herself as well, so they got along just fine.

Band practices had been grueling, and the drum majors had been running them like a well-oiled machine in preparation for the season starting football game. Beca had never had more fun than when she was marching away with the others on the drumline.

She was happy that she knew Amy going into it; it was nice to have a friend. Luckily, she had fallen in with the other band members quickly, and had met some other people that she didn’t mind hanging out with either. Asides from Amy, she would have considered Jesse, who played the trumpet, to be her closest friend.

She also started hanging out with Chloe Beale more, though it’s not like she really had a chance. Beca had a feeling she had been adopted by the older girl, since she just sort of wiggled her way into Beca’s life with no intention of leaving. Chloe, she got along with great, but Aubrey was definitely not gunning for Beca’s number one fan. The blonde seemed to be aggravated by Beca’s mere presence, so of course Beca made it her personal mission to piss off Aubrey.

The cheerleaders often practiced around the same time as the marching band, so whenever Beca finished first she would hang out on the bleachers and wait for Chloe to finish cheer practice, drumming obnoxious beats against the metal seats with her drumsticks. The louder she got the more agitated she could see Aubrey getting and Beca liked to up her tempo and see how long it would take Aubrey to snap at her.

It was her favourite game.

On this particular day, the band spent the afternoon practicing in their uniforms to put the finishing touches on their routine for the football game that night. The cheerleaders were out as well, Beca could see them practicing their routine on the other half of the field, but she was too concentrated to pay attention to what they were doing.

Once the drum majors decided that they were pleased with the routine, they released the band for a few hours to fuel up before the rally and the game. Beca followed the rest of the band back into the school to put their instruments and equipment away, humming to herself as she did. Amy found her in the band room, punching her shoulder and dragging her from the room.

“Let’s go bother the cheerleaders, yeah?” Amy asked with a smile. Beca nodded and followed her out the room, tugging at the stiff collar of her marching jacket. She and Amy found the cheerleaders just going through their routine one last time for the afternoon.

“Work those pom poms ladies!” Aubrey ordered cheerfully, and Beca shook her head. This girl was _insane_.

“You heard the woman! Work those poms!” Amy barked, repeating Aubrey. Aubrey whipped around and glared at her and Amy, crossing her arms defensively.

“I see they let the toddlers out of daycare,” Aubrey sniffed indignantly.

“Oh Bree, don’t be so hard on them, they’re just having fun,” Chloe said as they finished the routine and the cheerleaders milled around, grabbing water and chatting. Beca was drumming rapidly against the railing of the bleacher, delighting in Aubrey’s frustrated glower.

“Hey! You’re really good,” a voice said from in front of her. Beca turned and came face to face with an extremely pretty cheerleader. Despite Beca standing up on the second level of the bleachers, this tall girl was eye-level with her. 

And did she mention that she was really _really_ pretty?

Beca flinched and brought her left stick down extra hard across the metal railing, wincing at the loud crack as it split in half from the force. She stood there awkwardly while the pretty cheerleader looked at the broken drumstick with wide eyes.

“Wow, uh, that’s unfortunate,” the girl giggled. Beca barked an awkward laugh and shoved both drum sticks into the pocket of her pants, sticking out a hand.

“Beca Mitchell,” she said awkwardly, cursing her inability to talk to girls. The pretty cheerleader smiled brightly.

“Nice to meet you Beca, I’m Emily Junk, I just transferred here,” Emily said as she shook Beca’s hand enthusiastically. “Has anyone ever told you that you look like the mouse from _Dumbo_?”

“…what?” Beca asked, borderline offended. A mouse? She wasn’t _that_ short.

“Yeah,” Emily giggled, propping her chin up on her hand and reaching up with the other hand to play with the plume on Beca’s hat as she spoke. “You’ve got the feather hat and the jacket and everything.”

“Oh, right, yeah,” Beca said with another awkward laugh. Suddenly she felt boiling in the band uniform and she tugged at the collar, pulling off her hat and placing it on the bleachers next to her.

“Did you see me practicing?” Emily asked with a shy smile.

“I wish I was paying attention,” Beca said honestly. She leaned forward to faux whisper enough that Aubrey could hear it. “I was too focused on annoying the cheer captain.”

“Watch it Mitchell,” Aubrey barked, causing Emily and Beca to laugh. Beca noticed then how brightly Chloe was smiling as she watched her and Emily talk. When Chloe noticed Beca looking at her, she smiled wider and wiggled her eyebrows, gesturing between Beca and Emily.

Beca hoped Emily wouldn’t notice her blush.

“Well that’s okay,” Emily said once they had stopped laughing. “You can watch me at the pep rally, right?”

“Only if you watch me when we march,” Beca teased, gaining back some of her normal confidence. This time Emily was the shy one and a light blush coloured her cheeks. 

“I was already watching you, you’re really talented,” Emily admitted, stealing all that confidence Beca had just regained. Her heart fluttered in her chest and she subconsciously reached for her good drumstick, rolling it between her hands.

“Thanks,” Beca replied with a goofy grin. She was about to ask Emily if she wanted to maybe hang out after the game but she was interrupted.

“Hey fiddlesticks,” Amy shouted at her. “We’ve got to get back to the band room for a debrief before we grab some food. You can flirt with the cheerleaders later.” 

“Shut up Amy,” Beca grumbled, blushing even harder when Emily giggled at her.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you later Beca,” Emily said, blowing Beca a kiss as she flounced over to the rest of the cheerleaders. She bent down in that short skirt to grab her bag and Beca snapped the one good drumstick she had left.

 _Oh man_ , Beca thought as she watched Emily. _I’m so screwed_.


	2. Meet Me in the Dark

An hour before the pep rally was meant to begin, the band room looked like a warzone. People were running around grabbing bits of their uniforms and trying to find their music. Two girls were yelling at brass players who were trying to use their flutes as lightsabers, and the drum majors were at the podium trying to get everything under control.

Beca dodged a flying box of reeds that whizzed past her head and ducked into the backroom to grabbed a spare pair of drumsticks for the performance. She was a little annoyed that she had snapped hers, they had been her favourite pair.

By the time she had found a suitable replacement, the drum majors had finally gotten control of the band and had ordered them into their positions. A new kind of chaos took over the room as everyone grabbed their instruments and made their way out to the field. Beca grabbed her snare in one hand and drummed her sticks against her leg with the other hand, nervous about tonight.

It wasn’t her first time marching by far, but tonight was the first time she would have an audience. More specifically, it was the first time a pretty cheerleader would be watching her perform.

_Just focus_ , Beca reassured herself, taking a soothing breath as she walked out to the field. She was finally starting to calm down when someone grabbed her arm and a squeal pierced her ears, sending her heart rate skyrocketing again.

“So!” Chloe said in childlike excitement. “Emily, huh?”

“What about her?” Beca asked dismissively, trying to stop herself from blushing.

“She’s cute,” Chloe said, giving Beca a conspiratorial wink.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Beca insisted, pulling her cap down a little more. Chloe giggled and gave Beca’s arm a squeeze.

“You’re adorable when you get all flustered, Becs,” Chloe cooed, kissing Beca on the cheek as Beca rolled her eyes. Suddenly Aubrey was calling Chloe’s name and glaring over at Beca like _she_ was the one who behind Chloe’s disappearance. Beca shot Aubrey her own sour look as Chloe skipped off to join the squad. Aubrey gave Beca one last unimpressed frown before turning away and leading the cheerleaders onto the field to open the pep rally.

The students in the bleachers were painted and yelling and waving flags and banners. Beca, who had no interest in sports whatsoever, didn’t understand the hype. This was a college football game, and the first one of the season at that. It’s not like they had any streak to keep going or something.

Her thoughts were cut short by the music pumping through the air as the cheerleaders began their routine. Beca had promised Emily she would watch her routine, but she was too short to see from where she was. She huffed and handed her snare off to another drumline member with an apologetic smile before working her way through the band to get to the front.

She poked her way out between two flutes and finally she could see the cheerleaders. And _wow_. Beca had always thought they were talented, but they had really outdone themselves with this routine.

And Emily.

Oh _man_ , Emily.

Beca didn’t think she’d ever seen someone move so gracefully before. Emily caught her eye in the middle of the routine and winked playfully at Beca, who flamed bright red and waved back awkwardly. She was so lost in staring at Emily that she flinched when the drumline exploded into life behind her and suddenly the band was marching forward and beginning their set and _she was not where she was supposed to be_.

“Oh fuckfuckfuck,” Beca muttered to herself as she turned and wove her way back through the band, shooting apologetic smiles at the other members and dodging the eye rolls and unamused stares of the drum majors.

She made it back and her snare was shoved back at her and then they were on the field and everything was back on track. She settled into the rhythm of the song and the students in the stands were shouting and whooping and Beca was laughing and everything felt right again. She completely forgot that Emily was supposed to be watching her and instead focused on the beats in her head and the pounding in her chest from the bass drums and Jesse caught her eyes across the field as he played his trumpet and Beca smiled so widely at him it hurt. 

When they finished their set, they made their way off the field so the football game could begin. She followed the rest of the band back to the band room and put her stuff away in record time, sliding out of her uniform and stuffing it into her bag.

Normally she and Amy and Jesse would skip the game and go out for pizza and eventually end the night with some drunken adventure, but tonight Beca felt compelled to watch the game. She slipped on her green and white Barden Bobcats jersey and waited for Amy and Jesse to join her before they headed back to the field.

“You know we’re just staying for the game so you can watch the cheerleaders at half-time, right?” Amy asked her sarcastically. 

“Ooh, does DJ Mitchell have a crush?” Jesse asked in a goofy voice, making obnoxious kissing noises.

“Real mature guys,” Beca grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. She was only angry for another 0.2 seconds before she spotted Emily smiling and laughing with one of the other girls on the squad. Swallowing her shyness, Beca made her way over to the tall girl while Jesse and Amy went to talk to Chloe.  

“Hey! You guys were so great!” Emily said happily, bouncing on her toes. Beca didn’t understand how someone could be so peppy all the time.

“Thanks,” she replied, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly. “You were…incredible. I mean, wow.”

“Aww, thanks Beca,” Emily said shyly, ducking her head with a smile. It made butterflies erupt in Beca’s chest, and she internally groaned at what a cliché she was being right now. Amy and Jesse had everything right to shit on her honestly.

“So…good game, huh?” Beca said awkwardly, nodding her head. “Love that sports…ball.”

Emily let out a little titter of a laugh, sounding more surprised than truly amused as she looked at Beca in fond admiration. 

“The game just started,” she laughed. “Not much of a sports person, huh?”

“To be honest, I don’t get the hype,” Beca said with a half shrug. Emily leaned forward, beckoning Beca closer like she was sharing an important secret.

“That’s okay,” Emily faux whispered. “I don’t get the hype either. I just _love_ pom poms.” 

Beca blushed and barked out a surprised laugh, shaking her head. This girl was something else.

“So if you don’t like sports, why are you staying for the game?” Emily asked. “An overwhelming amount of school spirit?”

“I promised I’d watch you cheer,” Beca replied with a small smile. Emily’s face morphed into a pleasantly surprised smile and Beca couldn’t fight the way her smile grew ten times wider. 

“Aw,” Emily cooed. 

“So, uh, are you doing anything after the game?” Beca asked, wondering where the hell that had come from.

“Nothing that I know of, why?” Emily teased.

“Wow, that sucks, hope you find something to do,” Beca teased back with a playful grin, turning to walk off. Before she could, Emily giggled and grabbed her arm, tugging her back. 

“Get back here you goof,” Emily chuckled. “What are you doing tonight?”

“Nothing that I know of, why?” Beca said, parroting Emily’s words back at her. Emily glared playfully at her in response. She was about to reply when Aubrey called the cheerleaders over for a quick huddle.

“Oh shoot, Aubrey needs me,” Emily pouted. “But how about after the game you and I find something to do together? You know, so we’re not doing nothing.”

“I, yes, yeah, that sounds, yes,” Beca said, tripping over her words as she tried to keep her tone from sounding too eager. Emily positively beamed at her before heading over to Aubrey. Amy and Jesse rejoined Beca, and she followed them up into the bleachers in a trance.

“So, what are we doing after the game?” Amy asked. “Tequila and tacos?”

“That sounds like a recipe for disaster,” Jesse snorted. “I’m in.”

“Um, I’m actually doing something with Emily, I think,” Beca said. “I don’t know honestly, I may have blacked out and imagined the whole thing.”

“Ooh, like a date?” Jesse asked.

“You can’t go back on tequila and tacos!” Amy said indignantly. “It’s tradition.”

It only occurred to her once Jesse said it that Emily might have intended them hanging out to be a date. _Oh god_ , Beca thought. _What if it was a date?_ She was wearing a stupid Barden Bobcats jersey and she wasn’t mentally or emotionally prepared for the possibility of going on a date with Emily Junk.

“Beca?” Jesse asked, waving a hand in front of her face. “Earth to Becaw.”

“No use man,” Amy said, sitting back and crossing her arms over her chest. “She’s having a gay panic.”

“Just invite her to tequila and tacos, I’m sure Chloe would love to come as well,” Jesse said. “No stress in a group setting.”

Beca weighed her options. It was a Friday night, so it’s not like she had anywhere to be tomorrow, she would be fine to party with her friends. If Emily had meant it as a friendly outing, then she would have no problem doing a group thing and Beca wouldn’t royally embarrass herself. But then again, if Emily had meant it as a date, maybe she would be upset.

“Calm down, I can hear you panicking still,” Amy huffed. “Just invite her out and if she wanted it to be a date I’m sure she’ll say something.”

“God, this is so high school,” Beca groaned. Why couldn’t people just say what they meant all the time? It would lead to a lot less confusion and lot less gay panics on Beca’s end. 

Something happened on the field and suddenly people were up on their feet cheering and yelling and Beca was being jostled and shoved around by all the rowdy people around her. _God_ , she really hated sporting events, she was too small for this insanity. 

Luckily for her, it was half-time soon after that and the cheerleaders were stepping onto the field to perform again. Beca had never loved cheerleading more than she did in that moment. She was totally entranced by the way Emily moved, smiling as well when Chloe landed a particularly challenging looking move.

“Wow, Beca really does have a crush,” Jesse teased. Beca punched him in the shoulder, feeling nervous again about the impending plan for the evening.

“Just go ask her now,” Amy said as the cheerleaders filed off the field. “You’re going to be a nervous wreck until you do.”

Beca took a breath and nodded, wiggling out of her seat and making her way down the stands. She lost Emily in the crowd and popped up on her tiptoes, trying to find the girl. After a few minutes without success, Beca was about to resign herself to heading back to her seat when two arms wrapped around her from behind and pom poms were suffocating her. She huffed and batted away the pom poms, turning and coming face to face with an apologetic looking Emily.

“Sorry for tackling you, I was just excited,” Emily said sheepishly, kicking out a foot and scuffing her toe on the ground.

“Right, um,” Beca started, holding her phone in her hands so she would have something to tap against nervously. “My friends and I usually go out for like, food and drinks after the game and sometimes Chloe comes too and I thought maybe since you weren’t doing anything you would maybe want to come. But if you don’t want to that’s totally okay too, like no pressure.”

Emily was quiet for a second as she processed the avalanche of words that had just come out of Beca’s mouth, but when she did, she smiled. 

“That sounds like lots of fun!” She said excitedly. Beca nodded eagerly and hoped to god she wasn’t blushing.

“Yeah, it’s great,” she said. “Anyway, I’ll uh, see you after the game I guess?”

“For sure! I can’t wait,” Emily said. She looked like she was debating something for a moment before she leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Beca’s cheek. Emily stepped back quickly, giggling nervously before she retreated to the cheerleaders.

Beca stood there shocked, her fingers coming up to touch the spot Emily had just kissed.

“Oh gosh,” Beca said quietly, suddenly more nervous than ever for what that night would bring.


End file.
